The PR Makeover of Cecil The Lion’s Killer Dr Walter Palmer

Dr Walter Palmer, killer of Cecil the Lion, now finds himself hunted. With bodyguards, he is in hiding to escape death threats, vandalism and the wrath of millions.

His career as a dentist is over. He needs a major PR makeover. And as a public service – here’s the only one will do.

Just to recap Dr Palmer’s issues: He’s killed rhinos, lions, leopard, elk and black bears as trophies of his “hobby”. He’s violated hunting laws more than once. He paid $127K+ to settle sexual harrassment charges by a former employee who also was a patient, according to the NY Daily News.

A PR makeover for Cecil the Lion’s Killer

Here’s Dr Walter Palmer’s only hope of redemption: come out in public and throw himself on his arrow, so to speak. He needs to tearfully proclaim that he’s seen the horrors of his hunting ways. And sound like he means it.

And then he has to announce that he has created a foundation, devoted to dental work for lions and other endangered species.

In a few years, when wildlife dentist Walter Palmer can show videos of himself frolicking with the – living – rhinos, lions, leopards and black bears whose toothaches he’s relieved, people may start to hate him a little less. Perhaps.

Here’s the segment of Beyond Social Media Show 106 in which my co-host David Erickson and I discuss the marketing options available to Palmer.